Following a report last week that Charlotte’s Arts & Science Council had cut funding to the Charlotte Symphony from $1,947,424 to $900,000, with $750,000 of that contingent on the orchestra producing an acceptable restructuring plan by Aug. 31, Steven Brown reports in Tuesday’s (5/26) Charlotte Observer, “The Charlotte Symphony’s musicians are ‘shocked and outraged’ by the Arts & Science Council’s decision to slash the financially troubled orchestra’s funding, the Charlotte Symphony Players’ Association says in a letter to the ASC. … The players’ letter says that ‘we well understand the need for the Charlotte Symphony to address its serious financial problems and have a sound financial plan.… Unfortunately, the ASC’s “tough love” approach could kill the patient. No arts organization in the current economic environment could be expected to absorb a loss of such magnitude on such short notice and maintain the level of service that it provides to the community,’ the letter says. As part of last week’s decision, the ASC required the orchestra to produce a financial turnaround plan by Aug. 31. If the ASC doesn’t deem the plan workable, it will only give the orchestra $175,000 next season. The orchestra’s budget this year is $7.8 million. The group expects to end the season with a deficit of about $780,000.”
Posted May 26, 2009
